Where has the Billiards on tv gone?

[jay helfert]

I just don't get it!!! When I was younger and up until a few years ago pool was always on tv!!! Now hardly ever! Where has it gone? They still play the tournaments and even more so, so why not on tv anymore? Does any one have an answer for this??????
I just saying I like to watch some good matches on tv rather than streaming them!!!:angry::angry:

It is on TV - in ASIA! On my last trip to the Philippines I was able to watch many Accu-Stat matches from this years events on local sports channels. They buy this stuff because they have an audience there who will watch it and sponsors who will pay for air time/commercials on these shows. Like CJ said, that's how the TV biz works. If people will watch and sponsors will buy time, then they have a viable show to put on their network. There are many countries in Asia (CHINA, Taipei, Japan, Korea, Thailand etc.) they are regularly airing various pool and snooker tournaments (men's and women's) on their networks.

The major events that are held in China each year (both for men and women) are shown throughout the country (and the region) and have huge audiences, well into the millions. The women players are celebrities in China and other parts of the far East. The best women players can make a very healthy living over there with endorsements, appearances, commercials and prize money. The fans love the women players who are attractive and play well. The men less so. :sad:

 

[Donny Lutz]

You've met several?

That's not true at all. I've met several of them lately and none of them fit that description...not even close.

There's a lot of influential people that really like pool, however, if no one gives them a proposal they can't do anything good or bad for the game/sport.

Just like when I owned a major nightclub I didn't care what beer or liquor I sold, that's why the REPS came by and show cased their brands to my Bar Manager. The manager at the Radio and TV Networks are the same way, they only know what they're told and shown. 'The Game is the Teacher'

"That's not true at all" is quite a blanket statement. As was mine I suppose.

But you say you've met "several"? I know you have much experience as a player and promoter, but "several" does not convince me. I've been involved in pool (and other sports) since 1955. I also have some experience with television producers and sponsors since 1964.

My opinion is as I said, most of them look down at pool and pool players, as do most people who don't play.

 

[CJ Wiley]

there's a hundred million dollars laying on the table and it's ALL up for grabs

"That's not true at all" is quite a blanket statement. As was mine I suppose.

But you say you've met "several"? I know you have much experience as a player and promoter, but "several" does not convince me. I've been involved in pool (and other sports) since 1955. I also have some experience with television producers and sponsors since 1964.

My opinion is as I said, most of them look down at pool and pool players, as do most people who don't play.

I'm not sure how you could possible know what "most people" like or dislike. I make no such claims, the claim I do make is many people like pool and have no stigma attached to it either way.....they are "pool neutral".

I believe it would be surprising to know the truth about pool and how people honestly see it......it's intriguing to many professional athletes and when I was in Utah with Hank Haney he played EVERY day and kept track of EVERY game he played. Mark O'meara also has a place there at Deer Valley and they both have pool tables and play on a consistent basis when they're on ski trips (and Hank has one of my old tables in his house in Dallas).

I've personally played with MANY professional basketball, football, and golf athletes. There's even been a pool table in the White House for many years and I recently met with a man and played at an exclusive club in downtown Ft. Worth.

He's worth more than all of us put together and plays ever Saturday (and sometimes Sunday) morning on the emasculate table they have there. They have a display case with the original cues from many World Champions like Luther Lassitor. There's many more of these type people out in the world.....pool is alive and well, it's just not in the public eye right now....that can be corrected, and will be very soon.

Pool has not had anyone to push it on TV and develop the entertainment aspect of it, but to say that is "impossible" is ludicrous. The same people would have said that about poker and reality shows 20 years ago.

Times are changing and pool only need to change and adapt with it, and it will be successful again. I believe this with all my heart, mind and body.....that's the ONLY reason I'm back involved is because there's a hundred million dollars laying on the table and it's ALL up for grabs to the first people that see the opportunity, develop the opportunity and broadcast it for all to see. 'The Game will be their Teacher'

 

[malidave]

I have noticed even WPBA is not on ESPN, they had about 3 to 4 main events, this is the driest year I have ever seen.

I think either ESPN is less interested in billiards or there is a negotiation issue between the two.

 

[dimonsterb]

It is on TV - in ASIA! On my last trip to the Philippines I was able to watch many Accu-Stat matches from this years events on local sports channels. They buy this stuff because they have an audience there who will watch it and sponsors who will pay for air time/commercials on these shows. Like CJ said, that's how the TV biz works. If people will watch and sponsors will buy time, then they have a viable show to put on their network. There are many countries in Asia (CHINA, Taipei, Japan, Korea, Thailand etc.) they are regularly airing various pool and snooker tournaments (men's and women's) on their networks.

The major events that are held in China each year (both for men and women) are shown throughout the country (and the region) and have huge audiences, well into the millions. The women players are celebrities in China and other parts of the far East. The best women players can make a very healthy living over there with endorsements, appearances, commercials and prize money. The fans love the women players who are attractive and play well. The men less so. :sad:

I like all of the comments so far and as for your comment Jay with all the Asians here in the USA you would think that they would want to show some kind of Billiards on TV. There is a far pool hall in the Raleigh area that when you go in you are in a Asian country and they love to gamble/tournament play and gather around big money games.. Even were I am now in Pittsburgh PA we have lost a lot of pool halls because of the economy but if you go to the big halls they are still there!! Someone needs to get the Billiards industry a good swift kick in the pants to get it out of this funk, If they don't get it back on the air all the sponsors commercials will not get to the "ones" who are not into pool that much like "we" AZer's are and they just might get pulled into the game and find a new love for it they never knew they had!!!!!!

 

[mikefeiman]

I have noticed even WPBA is not on ESPN, they had about 3 to 4 main events, this is the driest year I have ever seen.

I think either ESPN is less interested in billiards or there is a negotiation issue between the two.

I don't know what the situation is with the WPBA, but I can tell you that ESPN is not interested in billiards programming. This was made very clear to me by my rep at ESPN. This is why you won't even find old matches on ESPN Classic.

According to my rep, billiards programming is all getting pushed to ESPN3 (streaming) and the company has no immediate plans to bring billiards back to the flagship, ESPN2 or ESPN Classic.

It's all about ratings and billiards programming doesn't pull strong enough numbers to keep ESPN interested.

 

[chilli dipper]

Pool has a decent "playing" following but a really small tv and live "viewing" following in america. The only future in viewing pool is live streaming and even that wont generate decent numbers.The people involved and the players in the past missed the opportunity in the past, they dropped the ball. It is what it is now unless a miracle happens, pool is done on the tube or being considered a legit sport/game in america! Its seems to me the people involved in the 70's/80's blew it for the sport...my opinion

 

[MisterBanker]

I don't know what the situation is with the WPBA, but I can tell you that ESPN is not interested in billiards programming. This was made very clear to me by my rep at ESPN. This is why you won't even find old matches on ESPN Classic.

According to my rep, billiards programming is all getting pushed to ESPN3 (streaming) and the company has no immediate plans to bring billiards back to the flagship, ESPN2 or ESPN Classic.

It's all about ratings and billiards programming doesn't pull strong enough numbers to keep ESPN interested.

You turn on ESPN classic and you see old wrestling shows from the 80s and early 90s, how big are the ratings for stuff like that?

 

[spartan]

I just don't get it!!! When I was younger and up until a few years ago pool was always on tv!!! Now hardly ever! Where has it gone? They still play the tournaments and even more so, so why not on tv anymore? Does any one have an answer for this??????
I just saying I like to watch some good matches on tv rather than streaming them!!!:angry::angry:

Ya agree. They should get Miley Cyrus to twerk on pool table. Now that would get pool tonnes of eyeballs.

 

[CJ Wiley]

The key is knowing the players and branding them as characters.

I have noticed even WPBA is not on ESPN, they had about 3 to 4 main events, this is the driest year I have ever seen.

I think either ESPN is less interested in billiards or there is a negotiation issue between the two.

Yes, producing shows that don't have more "sizzle" isn't going to entice anyone - filming Jeanette Lee playing is exciting because the audience knows and can relate to her on another level. The key is knowing the players and branding them as characters.

Pool, like all other games is boring to watch unless there's an emotional attachment....pool's no different than any other game, although it may actually be better in some respects.

Not branding the players is the biggest issue and that can't be overcome by just showing two robots playing pool......the characters personality is the "sizzle" that sells the steak (the production of the pocket billiard show). This is true in every major sport/game, it's just not obvious because these major sports are already so well branded.

 

[Tony_in_MD]

From what I was told Espn is paid to cover and broadcast events. Who is going to pay for that service now?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.

 

[mikefeiman]

You turn on ESPN classic and you see old wrestling shows from the 80s and early 90s, how big are the ratings for stuff like that?

Clearly they're better than what classic pool would pull. Keep in mind that current WWE wrestling programming typically pulls in the 3.0 to 3.3 range (as compared to new billiards programming which would typically pull around a 0.2).

From what I was told Espn is paid to cover and broadcast events. Who is going to pay for that service now?

This has been discussed ad nauseum. No one paid ESPN to cover and broadcast events. The standard deal was that the producer paid for production of the event, gave the programming to ESPN for broadcast and then split the ad inventory (ESPN would take some of the inventory and the rest would go to the producer to sell). ESPN would typically agree to do an original broadcast and a rerun for each hour of programming.

10 years ago, there wasn't enough programming for ESPN to fill the hours, so they'd rerun pool regardless of ratings. Today, they have more programming in their archives than they need, so it has become a ratings game. Whatever pulls the best numbers gets the airtime.

 

[dimonsterb]

To funny!!

Ya agree. They should get Miley Cyrus to twerk on pool table. Now that would get pool tonnes of eyeballs.

Yeah a lil twerking might work!!!
lol